Will Fox disappear from Cox? Stay tuned

Published: Monday, March 10, 2014 at 06:05 PM.

Cox Communications customers will lose the ability to watch Fox 10 and The CW networks at the end of the week if a new agreement between the cable company and station owners is not reached.

WALA and WFNA, the local Fox and CW affiliates respectively, are expected to go dark at 4 p.m. Friday. Representatives from Cox and the Rhode Island-based LIN Media are negotiating a new deal that would allow the cable company to continue to carry the stations.

Cam Johnson, public affairs manager for Cox, said he could not discuss the negotiations.

“Negotiations of business deals is not something we do in public,” Johnson said.

“We are trying to come up with an agreement,” he added. “Our most important thing is we try to make sure the customers stay connected to Fox 10 and The CW.”

Representatives from LIN Media did not return messages seeking comment.

If an agreement cannot be reached, the stations will still be viewable for free with an antenna or with a different pay-TV provider. Cox has antennas available to customers at its Uptown Station store, Johnson said.

Fox 10 has a page on its website dedicated to negotiations between LIN Media and Cox.

“The bottom line is Cox profits by including broadcast stations like ours in its line-up,” the website states. “Like any other business, it should pay fair market value for the ability to resell our programming to you.”

Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.

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Cox Communications customers will lose the ability to watch Fox 10 and The CW networks at the end of the week if a new agreement between the cable company and station owners is not reached.

WALA and WFNA, the local Fox and CW affiliates respectively, are expected to go dark at 4 p.m. Friday. Representatives from Cox and the Rhode Island-based LIN Media are negotiating a new deal that would allow the cable company to continue to carry the stations.

Cam Johnson, public affairs manager for Cox, said he could not discuss the negotiations.

“Negotiations of business deals is not something we do in public,” Johnson said.

“We are trying to come up with an agreement,” he added. “Our most important thing is we try to make sure the customers stay connected to Fox 10 and The CW.”

Representatives from LIN Media did not return messages seeking comment.

If an agreement cannot be reached, the stations will still be viewable for free with an antenna or with a different pay-TV provider. Cox has antennas available to customers at its Uptown Station store, Johnson said.

Fox 10 has a page on its website dedicated to negotiations between LIN Media and Cox.

“The bottom line is Cox profits by including broadcast stations like ours in its line-up,” the website states. “Like any other business, it should pay fair market value for the ability to resell our programming to you.”

Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.